City Church Houston: Recent Episodes
City Church - Leo Schuster
Renewing Houston by bringing the beauty of Christ into broken places. To learn more visit www.citychurch.org.
How far does God's love go? The story of Hosea is one that helps us scratch the surface of answering that question, and in doing so, offers a picture of the power of God's pure love.
Aaron Foster | Pastor | Family Ministry & Congregational Engagement
Isaiah 6 gives us one of the clearest pictures of what it means to encounter God. Isaiah comes face-to-face with the presence and holiness of God. And that encounter led him to recognize his own brokenness, receive the mercy of God, and ultimately be transformed by God.
Kai Chen | Congregational Life Director
The life of David reveals that our greatest achievements are defined only by God’s victory and our greatest failures only by God’s forgiveness.
Clint Wilson | Pastor | Community & Spiritual Formation
Hannah comes before God brokenhearted, openly weeping for the unfulfilled desires of her heart. In this intimate, emotional moment, God meets Hannah right where she is and gives her exactly what she needs. Even before giving her the child she prays for, God restores Hannah through the transformative power of his loving presence. God invites us to come before Him as Hannah did, and receive his tender mercy.
Anna Russel Thornton
Gideon's story, reflecting the whole of the book of Judges, calls us to question how our identity plays a part in navigating the variety of the circumstances of life.
Aaron Foster | Pastor | Family Ministry & Congregational Engagement
Moses' story of his calling reveals that deep faith often emerges from moments of "holy interruptions", and we're invited to lean in to the interruptions with curiosity and wonder.
Kai Chen | Congregational Life Director
When our waiting turns into still waiting, where do we turn? In Abraham and Sarah, we find an ancient example of how the momentum of our life’s plans must sometimes wait on the far better timing of God’s provision.
Clint Wilson | Pastor | Community & Spiritual Formation
Job is one of the most enduring stories ever told about suffering, revered across Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. Faced with devastating loss, unanswered questions, and unhelpful friends, Job's story teaches us invaluable lessons on how to deal with persisting pain in life and find a pathway through it.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Created in God’s image, humanity was made to flourish in relationship with God, one another, and creation. Yet the story of Adam and Eve explains why our world—and our own hearts—are so deeply broken. These opening chapters of Genesis reveal our extraordinary inherent dignity, the tragic reality of the fall, as well as the first glimpse of God’s plan to restore what was lost.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
We close our Exploring Faith series with a story in which Jesus invites even his closest followers to consider the depth of their faith and be nourished by the Bread of Life.
Aaron Foster | Pastor | Family Ministry & Congregational Engagement
Jesus' healing of a disabled man is a key to any exploration of faith: it shows us how the Son of God's proximity, power, and passion can change even the most helpless situation.
Clint Wilson | Pastor | Spiritual and Theological Formation
Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well speaks to the deep thirst and longing within every human heart. After years of searching for satisfaction in broken and temporary places, she encounters the only one who can truly satisfy the soul and offer lasting life.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
When Nicodemus, a respected religious leader, comes to Jesus at night with honest questions, Jesus invites him into an entirely new way of seeing. Here we discover a darkness to escape, a new kind of life to experience, and an identity strong enough to build our lives upon.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Jesus' mission on earth was to clear a path between the presence of God and the people he loves. John's Gospel puts Jesus' cleansing of the temple front and center so that we read the entire story in light of this central action.
Clint Wilson | Spiritual and Theological Formation
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 9:30 or 11:30 am
City Church Houston
201 E 9th St
Houston, TX 77007
Online Worship: Sundays at 9:30 or 11:30 am
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine. With so much sorrow and injustice in the world, why start there? It turns out far more was at stake than a catering crisis. In this moment, Jesus offers a glimpse of what he has come to bring into the world.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
For some, faith comes easily. For others, it's a struggle. In this message, we look at Jesus' encounter with a skeptic--an honest and hopeful story that helps us navigate doubt, cynicism, and the surprising beauty of faith and community.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Our Exploring Faith series begins with a fascinating figure Jesus once called the greatest person who had ever lived. John the Baptist embodied rare courage, clear purpose, and deep humility—yet even he wrestled with moments of uncertainty. How did he navigate faith in seasons of confidence as well as confusion, and what might his story reveal for our own search for faith today?
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Modern readers sometimes assume Jesus' original followers readily welcomed the news of his resurrection because they were gullible. The New Testament Easter narratives tell a different story--one that strikes a fair-minded reader as both historically reliable and psychologically authentic, inviting us to consider both its plausibility and significance today, rather than dismissing it as an idle tale.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
As we come to Christ, we (the church) are like living stones being built in various ways into a spiritual house, with Christ as the cornerstone. Peter invites all to reflect on our identities in the eyes of God, and to respond with praise and witness.
Kai Chen • Congregational Life Director
At the end of Acts, the gospel's message reaches the imagined ends of the earth, the city of Rome. Here Paul prepares to plant the future of the church, a community built on the extreme hope of Christ's message for all people in all times.
Clint Wilson | Pastor
Spiritual and Theological Formation
When the winds shift and the inevitable storms of life come our way, how can we navigate them in ways that bring beauty and hope instead of darkness and despair?
Aaron Foster | Pastor | Family Ministry & Congregational Engagement
The Apostle Paul's conversion story appears three times in Acts. Why would Luke devote so much space to one life-changing moment? Here we'll explore what this story reveals about life, faith, transformation, and the kind of church we want to be.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Suffering often creates crisis, but crisis can be an invitation to clarify the sources of our hope. Isn't life about more than survival? How do we find a life rich with purpose, even and especially in the face of suffering?
Clint Wilson | Pastor
It seems so easy to let our differences divide us. We feel comfort in surrounding ourselves with similar opinons, looks, backgrounds, and abilities to ours. This passage is just one of many examples that displays the deep unity the early church held, across differences, as the people clung to their commitment to the message of Jesus.
Aaron Foster | Pastor
Do you find it hard to "be present?" The early church practiced presence by honestly situating their past and prayerfully entrusting their future to God. In so doing, they were able to find newfound availability for both God and one another.
Clint Wilson | Pastor
Worship is in our nature, and idolatry was especially rampant in Ephesus. But Jesus frees us from the life-draining worship of idols, and into the life-giving presence of God.
Kai Chen | Congregational Life Director
The story of the ancient church in Corinth gives us a robust and compelling vision for what a modern urban church can be—engaging, resilient, and hopeful in the midst of a diverse, dynamic, and pluralistic culture.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Encountering Christ Jesus as our lasting "Prince of Peace" gives us a place to take our grief, anxiety, and fear, so that we, in turn, can become people who exude the generosity and gentleness of God.
Clint Wilson | Pastor
When the prophet Isaiah called the promised Messiah the 'Everlasting Father'--a surprising thing to call a little child--what did he mean? How might this title illuminate our understanding of who God is and the hope he offers, even for those who have a complicated history with their own fathers.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
While many think of Jesus as a great teacher, moral example, or inspiring historical figure, Scripture presents a far richer and more astonishing portrait. Isaiah declares that he is “Mighty God.” What does this title mean, and what difference can it make in a person’s life today?
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
The Advent season reminds us of the coming of a brilliant light that meets us in our darkness. This source of hope, Jesus, offers us presence and wisdom in a way that brings powerful healing and restoration.
Aaron Foster | Pastor
Like the famous words announced on the intercom of the London Tube, the church's call is to "mind the gap" between God's Kingdom and human culture, creating loving dialogue that help people experience the beauty of Jesus Christ and his good news.
Clint Wilson | Pastor
Whether through unjust treatment or uncontrollable trials, suffering in life is inevitable. The question is--how we respond? This extraordinary story shows us how to persevere through pain, not only with courage, but other-wordly joy.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
The transforming power of the gospel shines through in this story of two women from vastly different backgrounds. Remarkably, the first convert in Europe was a female Asian business leader—a powerful reminder that God’s grace reaches across every boundary.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
For many, religious rules are comforting. But the gospel invites us into a radically healthy but utterly paradigm-shifting freedom from old rules and regulations. The church is meant to be the beating heart, the epicenter, of that message of freedom.
Clint Wilson | Pastor
What makes for a healthy church in a large city? What we see at the first-century church at Antioch, the third-largest city in the Roman empire at the time, is a beautiful case study: people coming to faith in Jesus, healthy dedicated leaders, Christians trained to be faithful disciples, and uncommon generosity--all marks of God's gracious hand at work.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Traditionally, it was assumed that the good news of Jesus was reserved exclusively for the religious. But God gives vision to both a religious man and non-religious man to correct the cultural understanding of who this good news was for.
Kai Chen | Congregational Life Director
Should the church be a place that welcomes outsiders? In this remarkable story, we see Christianity crossing geographic, cultural, ethnic, and national boundaries. But that’s only part of it. It’s also the story of a man who was spiritually curious yet had almost certainly been wounded by religious people.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Certainty and faith, fear and calling - the story of Saul's transformation and encounter with Jesus has it all. The perspectives of Saul and Ananias give a great challenge for today's church in regard to the mindsets of religion.
Aaron Foster | Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
Ever wondered why we do what we do on Sundays? Join us as Leo Schuster & Clint Wilson walk through the elements of a City Church service, showing how each part is shaped by both Scripture and tradition. Whether you’re curious about how a service is designed or want to dive deeper into the theology behind worship, this event is for you.
The church's inclusive invitation and exclusive truth claims have prompted resistance from religious and secular alike. When it comes time to prove the power of this message, however, the ancient church's evidence is the same as ours: healed lives.
Clint Wilson | Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
Data shows that wonder is powerful. It can improve our sense of self, make us more kind and wise, and infuse us with purpose. Where do we find it? Curiously, wonder is one of the refreshing characteristics of the church in its earliest days. Reflecting on an encounter early followers of Jesus had with a disabled man, we'll consider where wonder can be found and how we cultivate it in our daily life.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
It's understandable that today many have jaded views of the church. As we imagine the future of our church, what can we learn from the earliest days of the church? It was refreshingly dynamic, characterized by personal transformation, vital community, authentic spirituality, radical generosity, and contagious hospitality.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Moving into our new facility is a unique chance to relaunch. This sermon begins a season of pre-launch preparation for us. By looking at the first generation of the church, we're affirming that the path to our future runs through this ancient past. In this episode, the mission of the church is set before us in a way that both challenges and empowers us to embrace the opportunity ahead.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
If we long to encounter God, or simply encounter him anew, where do we start? The story of Moses glimpsing the "back" of God offers us a key to the door of this mystery.
Clint Wilson | Pastor
Spiritual and Theological Formation
On this tenth anniversary of City Church, Psalm 100 invites us to center our celebration in worship, characterized by joy and thanksgiving because of God's goodness and faithfulness to us.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
At a pivotal point in his journey, Jesus tells a tale about investments, a returning king, and his subjects--but it's really about our journey. This story shows us the secret to a life of true joy, fulfillment, and worth.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
The parable coveys the message that righteousness is unobtainable through our own efforts, and only obtainable through the finished work of Christ on the cross. “We are right not because we have done right, but because we have been made right.”
Kai Chen | Congregational Life Director
Jesus tells his disciples the story of the persistent widow to encourage them "to always pray and not give up." We are not always told the meaning of one of Jesus's teachings so clearly; yet even in its clearest, simplest form, this teaching can be difficult to follow. Many obstacles attempt to deter us from persistent prayer. Ultimately, Jesus's encouragement "to always pray and not give up" is an invitation to abide in God's presence. Unlike the unjust judge, the Lord hears our prayers in love, and His faithfulness sustains us through all the injustice we suffer on Earth.
Anna Russell Thornton
God’s favorite story to tell is about how he finds the lost and empowers the found to do the same.
Ayo Omopariola
Just like a mustard seed itself, Jesus' small parable of the mustard seed discloses a large truth: The Kingdom of God is already here, and new patterns of growth have already begun.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
How do we navigate deep and disorienting tragedy? When loss and sorrow shake us, how do we process the pain honestly—and still find hope?
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Jesus uses the parable of the friend at night to teach about prayer. Understanding prayer, as well as who we're praying to, is critical for anyone who wants to engage with an invisible God that often feels like a great mystery.
Kai Chen | Pastoral Resident
One of Jesus' most well-known stories tells the tale of a man who was attacked by robbers and left for dead on the side of a road. The surprising twist in the story is who comes to help him, and this raises important questions for us today about how we live our lives.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
Though familiar to many people, the Parable of the Sower is actually a very complex story about finding both grace and hope while we wait on the harvest of God's promises.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
When he and his followers are accused of not being "religious" enough, Jesus tells a series of parables that reveal just how transformative the gospel can be for those of us who feel worn out by the old, endless rituals and empty rules. He invites us to encounter something totally...well, new.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
This is one of the most famous and beloved story Jesus ever told. Though it's commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son, the story actually features two sons. They represent two different ways of avoiding God. And it turns out there's more than one prodigal. The father in the story helps us to imagine just how outrageously extravagant God's love for us is.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
The final feast of Esther is a culmination of the entire story: a two-day festival devoted to the sheer joy of divine deliverance. We learn a deep truth here—that celebrations are just different on the other side of salvation.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
Esther is a story of reversals, but never more so than in the story's final twist. In a moment of political intrigue, Esther devises one final counter-decree to secure her people's future. This moment points us to Jesus Christ, who was God's counter-decree of love in the face of the powers of death and despair.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
This episode is the heart of the Esther story and it has it all: Suspended suspense, intense irony, a dramatic reversal of fortune, and dark humor. While it reads like a made-for-TV drama, our entertainment isn't it's primary aim. This story for the ages offers timeless lessons to help us navigate with bravery and grace the drama of our own lives.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
How do we deal with the things in life that shake us to the core? How do discover who we really are so we live lives of lasting purpose? These are just a few of the large questions addressed in this extraordinary segment in the fascinating story of Esther.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
RENEWING HOUSTON BY BRINGING BEAUTY INTO BROKEN PLACES
Sundays at 10:30 AM
House of Blues
1204 Caroline St., 77002
Online Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM
New to City Church? Questions?
Send your name and email to welcome@citychurch.org or 713-489-8918.
Connect at City Church
Website: http://www.citychurch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychurchhou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityChurchHOU/
If you would like to be a part of bringing beauty to broken places, we invite you to give.
http://www.citychurch.org/give
CityChurchHOU
The rivalry between Mordecai and Haman reveals the cost and the great reward of living by faith. When God extends us invitations to transformation, how we respond shapes our hearts and our futures.
Anna Russell Thornton
Esther finds herself in an ambiguous and complex situation where God is seemingly silent. How she responds during her season of silence gives readers a clue of how we can respond when God is seemingly not present in our difficult situations.
Kai Chen | Pastoral Resident
In these final words of the New Testament's first book we find the reaction was mixed when the disciples saw Jesus. Some doubted. Others worshiped him. Instead of scolding the skeptical, Jesus instead cast his vision for the future--a vision that's not only comprehensive but captivating.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Jesus' ministry was bookended by important forty day periods of time. While he was alone in the wilderness during his first forty days, his final forty days was spent with others. What did he do during those fascinating forty days between his resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven? What does it mean for us today?
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Why does the season of Lent last 40 days? More than any other Biblical reference, Jesus' 40 day experience in the wilderness is the backdrop for the 40 days of Lent. In this remarkable story we find invaluable insights about temptation, why it can feel so fierce and leave us feeling so frail. And we discover how we can resist it and grow healthier in the process.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Life can feel like one crisis after another. It must have felt that way throughout David's forty years on the throne of Israel. How do we find the space needed to set about spiritual growth and renewal? David's psalms may hold a key.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
Coming off of an incredible victory, Elijah is physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted, and needing a true rest that only God can provide. What causes exhaustion in our lives and how does God respond to us?
Kai Chen | Pastoral Resident
It should have taken them less than two weeks. Instead it took 40 years. What can we learn from Israel's 40 years wandering in the wilderness?
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Moses, one of the most famous individuals in history, is more closely linked to the number forty than anyone in the Bible. His dramatic story helps to enrich our approach to the forty days of Lent as a season for spiritual growth.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
The first chapter of the Bible is not only one of the most famous and important pieces of literature, it features what is foundational to a full life. In it we discover what is central to life, how to deal with darkness in our life, and how to build sustainable rhythms that promote our well-being.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
How do we build a healthy self-image? Where we we get a sense of purpose in life and meaning in our work? Why does it matter how we treat others? Why do we feel offended when someone disrespects us or violates our human rights? Turns out we don't need to look any farther than the first chapter of the Bible for answers to these foundational questions.
Leo Shuster | Lead Pastor
There are many ways to feel lonely—sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with others. The story of scripture honors both the dignity of solitude and the powerful purpose found in community.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
Why are we the way we are? Why are we filled with potential, but also profoundly struggle? Why do we have a strong urge for freedom, but also find ourselves sometimes stuck? The famous story of Adam and Eve's seduction in the garden is the place to go to discover answers to these questions and find hope.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
This conversation will consider the role of the Fall in shaping the story and theology of the Bible. How do we make sense of sin, both our own and others’? How do we reconcile the ancient story of sin with our modern appreciation for the beauty and dignity of all human life? The story of the Fall, as with all stories in scripture, offers a compelling synthesis of both an abiding appreciation for the potential good in humanity and an honest assessment our shortcomings.
Roundtable:
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Valerie Tompson | Executive Director at City Church
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
Kai Chen | Pastoral Resident
In his novel, East of Eden, John Steinbeck wrote about the grizzly story of Cain and Abel that it is important because it is a chart of the human soul. It It helps us make sense of our inner world and gives us clues to help us grow into more healthy versions of ourselves.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
While an ancient tale, Noah's Ark is a timeless account of the promises of an immortal God in the face of mortal suffering and fear.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
In the famous story of the Tower of Babel we find a cautionary tale of city dwellers whose ambition led to their downfall. It's a powerful reminder of the dangers of building our cities, our lives, and our churches on our own terms rather than aligning with God's purposes.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
The "Fruit of the Spirit" is not a moral, to-do list, but a pastoral reminder of what life lived with God's Spirit will look like. Pray these words just as we practice these truths.
As a light bulb finds a current from outside its glass case, we find real power from beyond ourselves. The Spirit of God is the source of all true freedom.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
The Magi's journey to see Jesus teaches us about the extraordinary reach this new child king would have and joy-filled response from those who encounter him.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Each Advent we remind ourselves that the powers of darkness are no match for the providential plans of God and the saving work of his Son, the light of the world.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
Power can corrupt or cleanse. It can induce fear or freedom. It always, however, reveals. In this fascinating case study of contrasting figures of power, we'll see these dynamics at work and learn invaluable lessons for our lives today.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
How do you deal with disappointment? The story of what happened when Joseph was blind-sided by the news of Mary's pregnancy offers helpful insights on how to respond when the unexpected hits.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
It may come as a surprise that the first page of the New Testament--the way Christianity introduces itself to the world--is through a genealogy. But this family tree is anything but boring. Bursting with significance, suspense, even scandal, it sets the stage for the kind of Messiah Jesus would be.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
The benefits to being a person of faith are many, but it isn't an easy life. When our faith seems fragile, feel like we're faking it, that we failed in some way spiritually, how do we pick up the pieces and persevere? The beautiful benediction found at the end of the book of Jude gives us all we need.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
In this special conversation with Mike Cosper, producer of the influential podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and director of podcasts for Christianity Today, we will discuss how to face seasons that feel like a spiritual or relational desert. In his latest book, Land of My Sojourn, Cosper uses the literal landscape of the Bible to narrate his own story of disillusionment, despair, and ultimately repair within the modern church.
Have you ever felt spiritually empty, searching for answers but finding only miles of wasteland and wilderness? Have you faced disappointment with those within the church or Christian community? Have you wondered where you fit within modern religious life in general, or within Christianity in particular? More than a conversation about Cosper’s own advice for navigating trauma and searching, this event will center some of the high-water moments in the Christian scriptures, revealing how these timeless stories continue to speak to today’s cultural and spiritual landscape.
In the opening pages of Land of My Sojourn, Cosper writes, “I hope that as I tell this story you might find echoes of your own. I pray if you’re in the wilderness, you might find that though the territory is a mystery, you are far from alone.” That, too, is the hope of this special conversation with Mike Cosper.
Life is tough. If it doesn't feel that way, just give it time! How do we deal with discouragement, even lurking despair, and discover true hope that fills us with lasting joy and peace? This benediction holds the key.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
A benediction is God getting the last word. In this benediction--from the last book of the Bible--God speaks a final word of grace to us that's especially helpful when we're under pressure, feeling stuck, struggling with a sense of purpose, and even facing the uncertainties of an election.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
True blessings in the Bible are not vain hopes for fortunate outcomes, but confident reminders of God's promised goodness to each of us.
Clint Wilson | Community & Care Pastor
What's most important in life and in faith? When religious leaders attempted to trap Jesus in his words, he answered their question in way that silenced his critics and has informed and inspired people ever since.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Maintaining perspective is so difficult. Just getting through the day can seem like a major accomplishment. But a healthy perspective gives us a vantage point that's essential to living a life that prioritizes what's truly important.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
The writer Simone Weil defines humility as "attentive patience." How do we become people who practice what we preach, so attuned to others' needs that we discover lives of uncommon purpose?
Why is it so hard to forgive? How do I forgive while protecting my mental health? Leo Schuster moderates a panel discussion with City Church leadership and a mental health expert on these questions and more.
Panel:
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Melissa Ramsey | Licensed Professional Counselor
Chelsey Omoregie | City Kids Director
Clint Wilson | Community and Care Pastor
Jesus teaches not only that the gospel is for everyone, but also that it is for every moment of our lives. We are never so late, or so lost, that the hope of Christ cannot find us and fill us with a life-changing gratitude.
Healthy relationships are key to building a great life. So how do we deal with the pain often experienced there? What role is forgiveness supposed to play? How do we do that authentically when it's especially difficult for us?
How do we avoid burnout and find true rest amidst the exhaustion and stress of modern life?
What makes for a truly great life? In the intriguing figure of John the Baptist we have a compelling portrait of someone Jesus himself held up as a singularly great human being.
What leads Jesus to be amazed at one man's faith in the face of suffering? Discover a different definition of faith than you may have heard before.
Jesus cast a vision for the flourishing life by emphasizing inner character and interpersonal compassion. While this life is attractive, it can feel elusive. How do we realize it?
How do we build a truly great life? What makes for an enjoyable and meaningful life, and one that withstands the storms encountered along the way? Jesus answered that by comparing life to building a home, highlighting the importance of a strong foundation.
Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Our “character,” meaning our integrity and personhood, exists because we are created in the image of God; through His redeeming work on our behalf, our characters can be transformed to reflect His.
One of the truest challenges of faith is trying to comprehend the timeless God from within our time-bound existence. What can help us glimpse the eternity he promises? Join us this Sunday for a message on "Faith & Time."
Apocalyptic literature can fire up the praying imagination when the beasts of life come at us and when we see the beasts in our own heart. There is a God who is in control. In destabilizing times, where are your eyes fixed?
Jesus takes the fire and faces the beast for us.
When we seek the deep answers of science, and use our God-given intellects to discern the laws of the universe, we are exploring the very nature and fingerprints of God, the supreme, creative force of all life. Faith and science are not opposed; they are engaged in an involved and intricate dance.
All of us struggle at times mustering the courage we need in life. God's instructions to Joshua when he was called to succeed Moses give us timeless truths to help us deal with debilitating fear and discouragement.
Paul's only strictly personal letter, Philemon, tells us about not only his heart for justice, but also the gospel's heart for justice. Our faith must arc, like the Bible itself, ever toward a more radical ethic of freedom and love for the other.
Faith is found at an intersection where we learn to set aside our sometimes hypocritical performances of self and embrace our true selves—more broken than we like to admit but more loved than we could ever imagine.
In our fast-paced, hyper-online world, loneliness poses a growing challenge to human flourishing. Whatever new form this ancient problem takes, this psalm reminds us that we are ever held in God's hands.
Are art and faith compatible or in conflict? Why do artists often feel disenfranchised by the church? How can art help us understand ourselves? How might art actually be an alternative window into the world of faith? In this message we'll consider these and other questions as we explore a biblical theology of art.
Many today are disillusioned with the church or just disinterested in it. This message will take modern concerns seriously and reflect on a passage that offers a refreshing vision for the church.
Not only does having a sense of purpose infuse meaning in our life, research suggests it is linked to a number of positive health outcomes. So why is it so elusive? What spiritual steps can we take to discover it and build our life around it?
The shortest verse in the Bible is by no means short on significance. When Jesus weeps over the loss of his friend, he reminds us that emotions are a vital part of our human lives, deserving of both our attention and our understanding.
What can shape us into people who are open-handed and big-hearted? The answer is found in this stirring and stretching ancient prayer.
Can you imagine sacrificial generosity in the midst of extreme suffering giving rise to overwhelming joy? While this may surprise us, it's exactly what we find in a moving story about an ancient community of faith. This beautiful example has the power to renew our modern sensibilities about the meaning of life.
Generosity is found less by facing greed than by facing fear, which is the root of greed. Sobering as it may sound, Jesus tells us that the path to overcoming our worldly worry is to accept that much of what we treasure will be lost. Only his Kingdom is eternal.
What biblical themes animate City Church's vision to renew Houston? How might this kind of church address cultural trends?
The New Testament author, Luke, was so taken with the story of Saul of Tarsus that he couldn't stop telling it. It's a curious case study of the power of Easter to change a person's life.
When we're struggling, what do we really need? In these concluding words from Romans 8, a high-water mark in the entire Bible, Paul shares words that can lift us and lead through even the most challenging of circumstances.
Though far from comfortable, true spiritual growth leads us into the heart of suffering, so that we may taste more fully the goodness of the hope of Christ—who was himself no stranger to pain and loss.
Essential to spiritual growth is going out of our way to care for the practical needs people face. We can sacrificially enter in to other people's suffering because Jesus did so for us at great cost.
How do we change? What do we do with competing desires within us? Here we'll consider different paradigms for spiritual growth and what a healthy and hopeful way forward might be.
Grace is a radical concept. If it grabs hold of us, it will absolutely change us--not making us different versions of ourselves, but new people altogether. This new identity means we're no longer struggling to be free, but free to struggle.
While suffering is often listed as the reason why people struggle to believe or disbelieve in God, it's curious that for the Apostle Paul it is central to spiritual growth and what it means to flourish in life.
Jesus came to serve not the religious, but the relegated, not those in possession of might, but those in want of mercy. The figure "Blind Bartimaeus" provides us a model for how realizing our need for Christ's mercy lies at the very root of our faith transformation.
How do we know if we can trust our desires and ambitions? How should we think about power? Here Jesus paints a counterintuitive and countercultural vision for dealing with these important dynamics.
Jesus' famous encounter with a rich young ruler teaches us important lessons about our relationship to money.
What makes us feel like we're somebody? Instead of tweaking our assumptions, Jesus turns things upside down and offers a radically different and refreshingly contrasting vision of life from what we're used to.
Faith cannot last without wonder. While our spiritual lives must be intellectually and emotionally satisfying, the Gospels remind us that Christ's love and glory are more than we can exhaustively describe or understand. Wonder leads to love, love leads to life.
Is it possible to be able to see but still be blind? Spiritually speaking it is. Jesus' healing of a blind man leads to an eye-opening moment with his disciples. Here we catch his vision for his mission and what it means to follow him.
The persistent temptation of our spiritual lives is to choose momentary security over long-term flourishing. The story of exile and the people's return to the city of Jerusalem is a reminder—for any season of life—that true and lasting comfort is found in the presence of God alone.
Though one might not think of this as a Christmas passage, it captures the essence of Christmas, and Christianity for that matter. It's particularly suited to those who struggle with belief, loneliness, and happiness.
Advent cannot be understand; it can only be experienced. Like flipping on a light in a pitch-dark room, Christian hope is an awakening to the life that can be found only in Jesus Christ.
Our lives are lived in between the two advents of Christ--his coming in humility in a manger and his future coming in great glory. What difference can this make in our lives? How might it help us face suffering, find purpose, and experience freedom regardless of our circumstances?
While we may tend to think of Advent as beginning in a manger in Bethlehem, the Apostle John reveals that it began much earlier--in the mystery of cosmic origins.
The power of grace does not eras our past, but rather re-forms it, transforming who we were into who we are called to be. Free from shame and redeemed by God's undying love, the chorus of scripture's song is that there are no lost causes with God.
With this mysterious story, our series reaches its dramatic climax. Jacob's wrestling with God encapsulates his life and signals his transformation. It also helps us appreciate how we can grow into healthier versions of ourselves.
One of the most subversive elements of Scripture is the way the Lord elevates and cares for women. This passage might be read as a story about a man and his two wives; but it is also a story about God drawing a beloved daughter close, choosing her to serve his plan to redeem the world.
All of us are impacted by our upbringing and families of origin. We may leave the nest, but we take a lot with us. Listen as Nancy Wilson, LPCS, and Leo Schuster discuss recognizing the brokenness in our family systems, including questions like: Why are friendships hard for me? Why do my spouse and I have the same fight over and over again?
To visit with Nancy further, visit wilsoncounseling.org. City Church is also able to provide additional resources.
Ever feel like your life is a mess and you're not sure what to do? In a timeless story of stunning hope we find Jacob on the run. His life had fallen apart and things were dark. Having burned bridges with his family and disconnected from God, he was all alone. Yet that's exactly where God met him and revealed to him realities that not only gave him hope to carry on, but changed his life forever.
Jacob's deceitful disguises can only secure broken blessings, and by lying to others, he is really lying to himself. The path to true self-knowledge runs through the cross, where we see the depths of both the need for mercy and the free gift of God's endless love.
The origin story of Jacob and Esau tell us of two temptations that can threaten the life of faith: taking our future into our own hands, or abandoning the responsibility to wait on God's timing. The better way is a third way: the way of the cross, and the one who showed strength in his weakness, absolute faith in the face of unimaginable fear.
In this shocking climax to the Abraham story, he is faced with an absolutely horrifying test. How will this man, who has so often struggled in his faith, respond? And what does this famous story teach us today?
Our laughter--or lack thereof--tells us a lot about ourselves and our beliefs. In a creative narrative spanning several chapters, the concept of laughter is used to teach us about ourselves, the ups and downs of life, and faith in God.
Even when we want to believe, it can be hard to trust the promises of God. In Genesis, Abraham holds on to faith by ceding his doubts to God's sovereign, loving control. On Sunday, we will talk about some practical ways to do the same—to cultivate deeper trust and more vibrant faith for days when we are faced with distractions and doubts.
Watch New York Times bestselling author Beth Moore’s candid conversation with City Church Lead Pastor Leo Schuster on anxiety and depression, sexual abuse, and the imperfections of church.
When mistreated or trapped in terrible circumstances, where are we to go? What are we to do when our misery goes unseen and no one seems to hear our cry for help? In this tragic story of trauma, God reveals himself as the One who sees, hears, and loves.
We don't believe or disbelieve in a vacuum. The stuff of life---the good, bad, and ugly-- always affects the way we process spiritual things. How do we live with more stability so we're not subject to our cirucmstances?
Is faith supposed to come naturally to us? Why does it often feel like it's such a struggle? How can the life of faith, however difficult it proves to be, help us flourish? We'll explore these questions in this introduction to our fall series "Wrestling With God."
Peter's famous denial of Christ is about more than threefold repitition: it is a progression of doubts that reveal how fragile our faith can be if we lack humility and vulnerability. In the same way, however, it becomes a progression toward the lasting source of faith: a living relationship with the resurrected Christ, who gives us strength when we have none.
Can we believe and not believe at the same time? That was the experience of a desperate father who brought his troubled son to Jesus for healing: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). The more we look at the Bible, it turns out, the more we’ll see this man’s experience might have been the norm rather than the exception.
While people often talk about faith as though it were a fixed position of certainty, the Bible shows faith to be far more fluid. There’s a movement to it, a dance of sorts between belief and unbelief, devotion and spiritual dryness, strength and sorrow, love and loss.
"Best things dwell out of sight," Emily Dickinson once wrote. It can be hard to believe what we cannot see, but so much of our life—our loves, our principles, our hopes—cannot be seen. Paul ends the letter to the Ephesians with a reminder of an invisible world beyond our vision, where good and evil struggle, and where the grace of God will ultimately win.
If we're honest, isn't there often a ravine separating how we want to be and how we are? In Ephesians, Paul offers a profound view of our psychological and spiritual attitudes, challenging us to find new lives by, first and foremost, excavating the deepest beliefs of our hearts.
How do we find deep purpose in life? How do we grow and mature as a person? How can a person of faith be a peace-maker when religion so often is divisive? We'll discuss how each of these important questions are addressed in this passage.
Why are families often the most difficult place for us to incorporate what it means to be a person of faith? How can we develop healthy, flourishing relationships within our families?
While it's an important topic, marriage can be a very sensitive subject. How should we think about it--its purpose, potential, and the pain that's often associated with it? What about singles and those who may feel left out when the church talks about subjects like marriage?
Paul's second and final prayer for the people in Ephesus asks them to see that the highest ambition of our faith is to know and experience the limitless love of God. While beyond our ability to fully comprehension, God's love holds the power to transform us at the very root of our being.
How do we deal with discouragement? How do we make sense of our suffering? Paul interrupts himself in this very autobiographical and pastoral segment to share the secret to these age-old struggles.
The grace of God frees us from old labels of our past, grants us a new identity for our present, and positions a cornerstone for our eternal future through the work and person of Jesus Christ.
What makes grace truly amazing? Here Paul shows us how it can become a life-changing dynamic for us, help ground in us our sense of self, and discover purpose in all of life?
Paul wants the church to know what they can’t know on their own, see what they can’t see on their own, and be who they can’t be on their own.
"Grace has a grand laughter in it," writes the novelist Marilynne Robinson. If we've experienced the marvelous and mysterious love of God, we can't help but find shock and even laughter to think that the God of the universe has gone to the very ends of himself to win us back for himself.
How does Paul open his letter to the Ephesians, which he wrote while chained in a Roman prison? Not by complaining, arguing, or reflecting on his circumstances in a well-reasoned manner. Instead, he opened with a surprisingly emotional outburst of praise. What caused this? Are there lessons we can learn to help us face our own challenges?
The dominant theme in this artistically elegant Psalm--the longest chapter in the Bible--is God's word. By treasuring God's word, especially in the face of suffering and sorrow, and allowing it to illuminate our life, we discover the path of true meaning and eternal happiness.
Falling in love with the Bible is like experiencing the joyous and rewarding journey of a fine meal, discovering a diet that balances personal growth and communal service.
While it's important to appreciate the Bible as a work of literature, there's something about it that's also very different, unique even. What is that characteristic and how can it help us enjoy the Bible and even find it to be a powerful tool of transformation in our lives?
Is there a key that unlocks the meaning of the Bible and helps us to find deep enjoyment in it?
The end of Mark's Gospel is an enigma. But in this mysterious cliffhanger of a conclusion we find crucial lessons for life. What can we learn from this puzzling Easter story?
As modern people in a secular age, whipsawed by the instability, sting, and sorrow of life, what can worship actually do for us?
Why do so many of us value generosity and find it so difficult to be sacrificially generous? What can help us overcome that disconnect? The answer lies in an unlikely place: reimagining philanthropy as part of liturgy.
Learning to love moral principles is not the path Jesus teaches for those seeking peace and purpose. Instead, he tells us of a law of love, which transforms us into a people uniquely committed to justice and mercy for our neighbors.
If actions speak louder than words, then God is always speaking. Prayer teaches us to listen. We sit with God in our present, and we trust him with our future, because of his faithfulness in the past.
We all have habits that are big parts of our life, some healthier than others. What if there were a keystone habit, that if adopted, would help us grow in all areas of life? God invites us to adopt fresh habits of worship--let's call this 'liturgy'--that will help us become more fully human and discover uncommon pleasure in all of life.
Jesus prays for his disciples' protection; that they be in the world, but not of it. The purpose of this protection? To ensure that we experience true, deep joy in our identity in Christ, which no one can touch.
What was Jesus doing in the last moments before his arrest? He was praying for us. He wasn't consumed with what was happening to him. He was sincerely interested in us and the quality of life we would live.
In his final words, Jesus prays for a glory that will last forever. True glory, the kind that doesn't fade or falter, is born from suffering but built to share, transforming our lives into a meaningful mission for the good of others.
How can we as modern people trust that the Bible, written by humans, is true? How can we believe all that it says about us and God? How do we find real peace, comfort, and courage in a world often punctuated with pain? The answer to these and many other questions lie in what Jesus taught his followers about the Holy Spirit.
What makes for a truly great, fruitful life, not only one with lasting meaning, but one that contributes to the common good, and fills us with deep happiness? Jesus here casts a vision for this kind of life, shares the secret to discovering it, and shows us how we can grow in it.
As Jesus' life neared its end, his disciples worried about what would come next. Jesus' answer that he alone is "the way" is not some theoretical truth, but rather a deeply loving and practical response to the doubts of our hearts.
The night before he died, Jesus shared with his closest friends and followers powerful words from an upper room in Jerusalem. They offer "upper room" perspective, purpose, and peace for us, when we feel limited to the constraints of life in this "lower room" world.
We can renew our hope by fixing our eyes on a God who would face the shame of his own death and embrace glory of his own resurrection so that we can be brought back into a living relationship with himself.
Simeon's Song celebrates a God who draws near to us in order to draw us out from a place of fear and weakness, just as he models in the life and faith of Mary.
Why would Luke record the actual birth of Jesus in such a straight-forward, even dispassionate way, given that has so often invited us into the emotional experience of Mary?
When life feels out of control, what are we to do? In Mary's song, The Magnificat, we discover not only what can stabilize us, but what can fill us with soul-satisfying joy.
The story of Jesus' birth begins with Mary, who was chosen for the utterly unique role of mother of God. Her response to the angel's shocking news prompts us to reflect: What is God asking of us? And will we do it?
In this conclusion to the series we see David at his best--exhibiting radical generosity, humility, and selflessness. What strikes us is how free and alive he is. What contributed to that in his life? How can we discover it for ourselves?
How do we change? How do we grow? In the Christian faith, repentance has always been central to authentic transformation in a person's life. We see this in dramatic fashion when the prophet Nathan confronted David.
While moments such as David's encounter with Goliath showcase him at his revered best, this tragic episode reveals just how flawed he could be. Here we learn about the dangers of power, the power of temptation, and the power to deal with both.
David's loyalty to his friend Jonathan culminates in the extension of communal care and resources to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, who is disabled. David honors and recognizes him as an image-bearer of God in the lineage of his chosen people.
When David brought the ark of God into Jerusalem he danced before the Lord with whirling abandon. His dance gives us a picture of what life can be, even when suffering: a free and overjoyed expression of worship born of grace.
Seeking God's presence is the meaning and measure of our lives, and David's ascension to the throne of Israel reveals how great find their purpose in patiently, faithfully waiting on his timing.
David's journey through wilderness is not unlike our own search for spiritual satisfaction. Jesus promises living water, but how do we find it when life feels like a desert?
Friendship is the antidote to the poison of loneliness. What does real friendship look like? How do we find it? How do we become true friend to others? The heartwarming story of David and his friend, Jonathan, provides compellings answers to these questions.
How do we deal with anxiety--everything from garden variety worry to crunching panic? How do we bolster courage and develop faith to address this? These are just some of practical helps we discover in the classic story of David and Goliath.
Have you ever been so moved by music that it seemed to heal something deep inside you? David's musical talent had a medicinal-like power that soothed the ailing king Saul.
Famous, fascinating, and yet deeply flawed, David's story is like a mirror and door. By looking at him we can better see and understand ourselves. And by looking through him we can see the one he ultimately pointed toward.
What can we do about the problem of evil? In the Psalms, we're given a refreshingly honest vision of suffering that is balanced by the mysterious and merciful power of hope.
Sometimes the Bible, like life, just doesn't make sense. We see this in two early experiences from Jesus' ministry that showcase the mystery, mercy, and majesty of God--and give us clues that help us understand the things that perplex us.
What is life really about? How do we not just exit, but live a truly great life, dealing in healthy ways with it's uncertainty and pain and discover who we really are? With this message we begin a year-long theme of mystery, mercy, and majesty.
If we live for the approval of others, or to seek our own gain, we will burnout fast. But when we live for the Spirit, we will be sustained by the Spirit.
Once freed from the burden of our brokenness, we are released into a life made for carrying each other and restoring one another to fullness of life in Christ.
The gospel promises two kinds of freedom: freedom from our past and freedom for our future. Come discover the richness of a love that saves us and steers us toward true, lasting healing.
Grace, once received, makes us children again—God's children, who are adopted into his family, made heirs to his kingdom, and united with all believers by the freedom of the gospel.
The story of the Bible is one continuous promise, from God's first blessing of his people to the final victory of Christ over death and sin. We are a people of this promised redemption and rescue.
The Christian life is about more than what we believe; it's also, just as importantly, about how we believe. The church should reflect the freedom and diversity of Jesus' message, as interested in the form of our community as we are to the content of our faith.
We cannot save ourselves through behavior modification; rather, Christ saved us through his sacrifice on the Cross. How do we hold ourselves and each other accountable to living by faith?
When we align our lives with Christ, he becomes the desire of our hearts, and from that, all good things flow.
The gospel is the philosophy of grace, a word we use to capture the unbelievable, transformative message that Jesus gave himself up for us so that his goodness could be counted as our own.
Discover what's most important, not only to experience renewal, but to enjoy a truly great life.
God is love, and Paul reminds us that our highest calling is to love each other with the fullness of God’s unconditional love for us. Knowing God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit is the north star for all who long for purpose in our lives.
Palm Sunday is a celebration of God's anointed entering the city of God and a poignant reminded of his impending suffering and death for us.
We're built to enjoy life with others, to thrive in thick relationships. But life, especially the last two years, has a way of resisting that. This ancient song celebrates the gift of authentic community, making it so appealing that we want to explore it.
How do build and rebuild our lives--our careers, friendships, families, our personal and public worlds--in a meaningful way so we don't waste them but instead flourish?
This song of ascent is a song of security. As we journey through life, no matter how we walk or what we encounter, we are protected by God; and he never sleeps on the job.
What do we do when we don't know what to do with our pain, spiritual distress, or uncertainty in life? This ancient song invites us into a journey of emotional authenticity that leads us to a place of hope.
How do we deal with anger? Where do you go when we've hit a wall spiritually? This climactic conclusion to Jonah shows us where relief can be found.
What happens when Jonah, the reluctant prophet, finally delivers God's message to the Ninevites? Both their response and God's are stunning.
That Jonah's outlandish circumstances are hard to imagine is actually what the story hopes to accomplish, because in forcing us to expand our sense of what's possible, we encounter the miraculous mercy of a God for whom nothing is impossible.
Harrowing surprise, spiritual humor, and God's heart for the city spill off the page of the opening to this timelessly relatable story about a reluctant prophet attempting to escape God's call to go where he did not want to go.
Jesus, speaking with the authority of the son of God, invites us to build our lives on him, the Rock who will not fail.
A good friend won't just tell you what you want to hear. Because they care about you and want your very best, they might occasionally share tough truth with you. Jesus does just that here as he nears the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount.
When life feels overwhelming and religion confusing, how do we boil things down in a way that's actually helpful to us? Jesus does that here in a climactic segment to the Sermon on the Mount
Don't you hate it when you feel judged, especially by religious people? Here Jesus us shows us how to be known as people of empathy and grace.
While we all must face exile in our life, the story of the Bible is a homebound journey toward the house of the Lord, where fear will flee from the face of our God and King.
Advent signals comfort is on the way. Relief won't ultimately come from others, who’s faithfulness is fragile like flowers of the field, but through God’s Word that endures forever. In his Word we can discover the glory of the Lord that alleviates our distress.
What do you treasure in life? Here Jesus shows us how money is a lens through which we come to see what we really love in life and what really controls us.
Sometimes we think of formulas as restrictive, but Jesus’s formula for prayer is actually freeing; it frees us from our tendency to perform. Instead, we can embrace an authentic encounter with God through the daily rhythms of grace.
The reward of hypocrisy is given by man but the reward of authenticity is given by God.
What do you think the most powerful force on earth is? Jesus said it’s how we treat people who’ve injured us. Instead of rejecting them, retaliating or taking revenge—it’s loving them in shockingly sacrificial ways. This Sunday at City Church: Radical Love.
In relationships, don't you think one of the most important filters we have is whether or not we can trust that person, depend on them. People say things, but then we might wonder what's really going on. Jesus had this vision for a new kind of human that was refreshingly different, you could always bank on what they said. Their words were so trustworthy and helpful that, as the ancient wisdom put it, it felt like a kiss on the lips.
The pandemic has been an isolating pressure cooker both for married and single people. Jesus' words that may strike our modern sensibilities as shocking, are a window into the refreshing world of redemptive hope he offers.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus invites us to experience the transformation of his love through our senses, encountering the sound of the Law, the vision of the gospel, and the feeling of grace as it frees us from broken places in our life.
Though anger has tremendous potential to destroy relationships, peacemaking has tremendous potential to save them.
Finding our way in life is like finding our way through the Bible: both can feel overwhelming. Jesus shows us how to navigate both and and discover enduring freedom.
Jesus casts a captivating and refreshing vision of who his followers are and who they're called to be in the world.
Regarded by many as the greatest words ever spoken, the Sermon on the Mount showcases Jesus' countercultural vision for a new way of being human.
In this overture to the Bible, God's re-creative word transforms darkness into the light of an ordered, peace, and magnficently beautiful world. This becomes a paradigm for the renewal of all things.
This breathtaking vision at the end of the Bible is what we need most now. It'll build in us a resilient hope and give us renewed purpose to join God in his work of making all things new.
Life circumstances don’t determine your joy, the God who promises to meet all of your needs does.
Life's anxieties are overcome by repairing broken relationships, rejoicing in all circumstances, and receiving the grace of Christ, through whom all our joys will be made complete.
Maturity begins with what you think, then moves to how you live, and ends in transformation
True power and true joy are found in knowing Christ, a knowledge that involves our body, mind, and soul.
A life of honorable gospel service requires a love for Jesus’ church that knows no limits.
When we're struggling with joy-killers like grumbling and arguing how do we deal with it? We need a spiritual framework so we can understand their root causes and "argue" the life-giving word into our hearts.
Paul's famous "Christ Hymn" reveals that confession is a keystone to our joy, entrusting our broken ambitions and desires to the care of our risen King, Jesus Christ.
Humility is the key that unlocks the chains of selfishness and leads to live of love towards God and service towards one another.
What do you live for? When Christ is our life purpose and passion we can find joy regardless of the hardships we face.
How do we find joy when we're stuck in difficult circumstances? Paul here shows us by example. Stuck in prison for his faith, he finds joy because, even in the midst of such adversity, the gospel advances through him in the most surprising of ways.
In this introduction to Philippians we'll discover how to deal with life's circumstances that steal our joy.
God gave Peter corrective lenses, of sorts, which corrected Peter’s understanding of God’s heart and plan for humanity, and the way Peter related with others. What kind of corrective lenses might God have in store for us today?
On Pentecost Peter preached to a large gathering of people who didn't believe. By the end of this first sermon Peter ever delivered, over 3,000 people had become followers of Jesus. What did they hear that changed their life?
A life of surrender is not easy and is often costly, but its reward bears fruit for a lifetime.
In this poignant passage we see Peter at his best and worst, at once a bedrock of a person and a stumbling rock. Do you see yourself in him?
When we step out in faith, God's presence is promised but our worldly sense of comfort is not. In the face of life's most fearsome storms is a far stronger wind, the Spirit and love of God.
When Jesus suffered, he didn't become self-consumed, but showed us the way by humbly serving and loving even those who would hurt him.
Where do we go once we've failed badly? The answer lies here in one of the most spectacular interchanges in history, between Jesus and one of the most colorful, captivating characters in the Bible.
How do we find hope on the road of life when there's so much that can lead to discouragement?
Why does Jesus weep when his journey finally culminate in his arrival to Jerusalem? Learn how the answer to this helps us make sense of our own journey in life.
Hebrews was written to people who were shaken. The author of Hebrews is trying to help people persevere—to bring us to what is essential to perseverance.
Whatever weight you find underneath yourself today, Matthew wants to ensure you that rest is possible. But true rest can only be found in accepting Jesus' invitation to come to him.
Do you find yourself inventing hope? Maybe you are tying your hope to your circumstances. Acts 8 shows us a different kind of hope.
When you are in the middle of pain, it can feel like it's consuming your life. But in this text we see Job doesn't go through pain all by himself. Job helps us see what lies beyond the suffering.
Wherever God has placed us, we are there for his purposes—to be instruments of love, justice, hope, and peace. Through Esther we see a glimpse of the ultimate king who gave up his life for his people.
“Revelation gives us the last word on Jesus, and this word is that Jesus is at the center…” Eugene Peterson
Figures in Scripture like David can magnify our vision and help us find courage to face the most menacing giants. David helps us see that we need a reality check and a real champion.
John the Baptist called for people to repent, but repentance isn’t about groveling. It’s about becoming a new person. God’s kindness leads us to repentance. When we look through the window that John is for us, we see the otherworldly kindness of Jesus.
The Bible is a book of windows that open to the world beyond us—full of breathtaking beauty, outrageous love, and eternal hope. By lifting the blinds and gazing through these windows, we’ll develop a transcendent perspective that will help us find spiritual equilibrium.
Jude tells Christians to ground themselves in the love of God. The only way to remain faithful in a world of falsehood is to anchor our lives in the truth of God’s love.
It is the extravagant love of God that animates us from first to last. Our lives are to be characterized by love, and that love fills us with life.
Jesus challenges Nicodemus to doubt his doubts, and Jesus also shows Nicodemus the extravagant love of God.
James shares about persevering in the face of trials. Because life is often difficult, lived amidst a broken world at odds with God, our posture should be one of patient endurance. Those who follow Jesus are called to be a people of prayer and praise.
Prideful self-reliance is a vain attempt to control your life. Instead, humbly trust God with your life.
For James, the vital sign of our belief in God is our behavior toward others. What will we do with the challenge James gives us in this passage?
James is concerned about how Christians present themselves to the world, a world that is sometimes confused by how Christian beliefs differ from Christian actions.
Oscar Wilde famously quipped, "I can resist everything except temptation." James is sympathetic and teaches us the solution.
James has the feel of ancient wisdom literature, like Proverbs. It’s practical, and begins by inviting us to deal with a relevant problem: pain. How can we persevere during these times? Christ’s victory came through suffering. He persevered through the grave and crushed our final enemy death, and welcomes us forward into his presence. This not only gives us strength to endure, but grows our love for Christ.
Jesus’ first sermon he ever preached came from a passage in Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to set the oppressed free.” God not only speaks against injustice from his throne in heaven, but he came to earth to deal with injustice head on, in person, and pay the cost of it for us with the blood of his son. Jesus, the only perfectly pure one, took our pain and bore our suffering. By his wounds, we are healed.
Suffering is the valley of soul making. God’s people in exile felt cut off from life, and you might feel that way too. But there is one who was cut off from the land of the living for us— Jesus experienced the ultimate cosmic exile on our behalf. Jesus went all the way into the valley of death for us.
We don’t know the widow’s name in this story. Jesus sees a face of affliction and moves toward her. Jesus never uses anyone for his own benefit. On the cross, he will be used and abused for our benefit.
Do not grow weary and lose heart. How do we have a growing and sustaining faith that lifts us when you fall, and gives deep joy even when we hurt? Jesus bore our shortcomings and brokenness not with anger, but with joy—for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. Jesus will guide us and saves us each step of the way. He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion.
In this passage are two sisters interacting with Jesus and dealing with the loss of their brother. They show us the multidimensional nature of affliction, and at each point, they show us something that we need. Something about loss, something about love, and something about life. Jesus says he is the resurrection and the life—and he backs it up by overcoming our greatest enemy and obstacle, death. As you confront the free-floating grief of this tough time, come just as you are to the feet of the one who loves you, who weeps with you, and who overcame death for you.
Tabitha offered her ordinary skills to extraordinarily care for others. She humbly plays her part in the gospel story as if what she was doing is as ordinary and necessary as doing the dishes. And through it all, God gives new life. Tabitha went from being marginalized to being mobilized.
"I’ve never lived at a point in time when so many people are suffering simultaneously throughout the world. Our forms of suffering vary, but the common language of humanity is suffering. Let us learn together from ones who have suffered greatly."
This won’t be remembered as a happy time in history, but there is a unique hope held out at Easter. The resurrection is a catalyst for tragic optimism that yields redemptive meaning.
The purpose of the book of Zachariah is not to take our modern chaos and decode it. It’s to bring us comfort in the midst of the chaos.
Our new normal is utterly abnormal. It seems like only certainty is uncertainty, and this can take a toll on our mental health. While anxiety tends to disrupt our peace and steals our joy, find hope through Isaiah’s ancient words.
The first Sunday to not meet in person due to COVID-19, Linc Ashby preaches about a merciful love. There is mercy in being called out. There is a promised mercy of restoration. And there is mercy to be found in repentance.
“Return to the Lord“ is the theme of the book of Joel. God speaks to us today through his word and his Holy Spirit animates that word in our lives. Wherever we are, these words of Joel are words for now. Even now, God can erupt in our life with abounding love. We can return because God is gracious and compassionate. On the cross, the judge takes on the judgement we deserve.
Hosea is a shocking story of scandalous love that can warm our wayward hearts. The metaphor of marriage in our relationship with God is one of unrivaled intimacy. It is also one of unparalleled identity. The imagery of adultery helps us understand idolatry. Idolatry is anything you marry yourself to other than God, and when we worship anything other than God, it destroys us. The church is the bride of Christ, and he has given himself for us.
Why is it important to talk about art? The first sentence of the Bible shows God as the original artist, and we are his masterpiece. The impulse to create is in all of us, though some of us are better at cultivating it than others. We get to partner with God in taking his raw materials and using it to make culture—to bring beauty to broken places. The most beautiful one gave up his beauty to be the sacrifice. Jesus became grotesque so that he could give us his beauty.
When you think of justice, what comes to mind? This passage is not only addressing particular systems of injustice or internal comfort during seasons of suffering (though it does that), it is also a positive vision of culture itself. God designed the world to be intertwined. All of the systems and people of the world are part of the beautiful tapestry he creates. In Isaiah’s world, it is as though the tapestry is frayed. But from the vantage point he can see from God’s vantage point, Isaiah can see a vision of flourishing—a reweaving together of God’s world so the world can again picture the world as God designed it. Jesus is the solution to injustice to the world. He could have solved it by himself, but instead God designed it to be collaborative. He uses us as the means to reweave the fabric that is unraveled. Jesus was the perfectly just one, but he was treated as one who was unjust, the greatest metaphysical injustice of all time. Through this, we are given ultimate beauty instead of ashes.
Meeting Jesus leads us to the gift of faith, and Jesus pushes against the ways we seek to find our identity outside of him. We are all outsiders who Christ has welcomed in. Christ became an outsider on our behalf so we may feast with him.
All of God’s actions are loving all the time, no matter what our lives look like. To receive the love of God is to let the love of God pour out of you. Faith is never alone. Love always follows. Love is essential, it is sacrificial, and it will save the world. The perfect love of Jesus paid the atoning sacrifice for our sin. How are you going to respond in love to join him in saving the world?
A Christian is not one who tries to do better. God makes us new and our identity is found in him, which requires us to take seriously putting to death the behaviors and desires of our old selves. In clothing ourselves in love, we are putting on Christ. He completed the work we can’t even begin.
The woman’s behavior in this story was scandalous, and the one hosting the party for Jesus turns her behavior of love into an indictment on Jesus. When we grasp the magnitude of our spiritual debt, we are in a position to recognize the magnitude of God’s love. Christianity isn’t about behaving correctly. Its about seeing correctly the magnitude of our spiritual debt. There is a whole different world of peace available to us in Jesus. Jesus says come to me and go into that world of peace. He is the one who forgives sins. He is the one who absorbs our debt and in whom we find the sweet aroma of forgiveness.
We see David’s soul opening up in this Psalm. We see him have an insatiable thirst that is not just unique to David. We see a human, soul-ish thirst. We all are scratching an eternal itch. Our deepest satisfaction can be found in the person of Jesus. And when we find satisfaction in him we become a pipeline to show that love to others. We need moments and patterns and rhythms to help lead us to soul satisfaction in Jesus. He thirsted for us so we can find satisfaction in him.
God came to us because we are all broken and in need of rescue. He came to free us from our guilt and fear. We are destined for the ultimate joy the angels talked about. When we cling to Jesus, we can drop what we cling to as security blankets in our lives.
Angels bring a heavenly message of God into the heat of human experience. They interrupt our lives. But this message from an angel in the book of Matthew is the first word from heaven in the New Testament: do not fear. God is with you. What difference would it make in your life if you believed Jesus was right there with you? We don’t always want him close, but that is when we need him most. The angel came with a message of infinite love that will disrupt our lives and reorder our loves. We are all a tangled mess, but Jesus is the one who can untangle the mess you feel in your soul.
God uses unexpected messengers to deliver an unimaginable message about an incredible savior. No one knows better than this savior what it is like to trust God in difficult circumstances.
This scene with Zachariah shows us what it’s like to be in a real relationship with a real God. How can I be sure of Jesus? Zachariah wasn’t sure. He also did everything everything right and still did not get what he wanted. But our storyteller God is good whether you believe it or not. God's promises are true independent of you.
We are supposed to see ourselves as money managers rather than money owners. Because God made everything, it all belongs to him. When we are not living our lives in an open-handed way, it’s not that we are being stingy, but we are stealing. We are stealing from ourselves. Whatever you have, if you let it go, it not only benefits where others but gives you a freedom as well. In this parable, because of the rich man’s crises he needed to make decisions now based on the future. We need to make decisions based on eternity—based on people and the purposes of God. Our identity becomes entwined in what we buy because we want to be loved. We need a power who can go deep beneath the surface and reorder our root system. We were utterly bankrupt, and Jesus became poor for us, absorbing our debt in himself. He enriches our lives with the anticipation of entering into the place of ultimate return.
We are the Mona Lisa of God’s artistry. The picture in the Bible is we are God’s. But we are currently estranged from him. God did not simply lower our debt; he paid it. He bought us with the cost of his Son. When you have been hurt by someone, forgiveness is less of a transaction and more of a process. If forgiveness is less of a line you cross and more of a road you take, you can’t go that difficult road alone. We are all debtors who all need the bridge of mercy. Jesus walked the road of forgiveness and reconciliation all his life. Receive God’s uncommon generosity.
When do you find another person’s character most attractive? Isn’t it when you see them give of themselves freely to care for others? We need to let the beauty of this conversation stir us. Christianity at its core is about beauty. The Bible is a story about God’s radical, beautiful generosity. The Bible tells us about the the source of generosity. Our relationship toward society should be one of generosity. We all have things competing for the heart’s attention. Those passions and desires displace in our lives the beauty of God’s open-handed beauty. But our bounty in Christ releases us from being enslaved to those passions and desires. We are not our own. We are bought with a price. When we let the beauty of his generosity stir us, when we let it stretch us, don’t be surprised when God uses you to bring heaven to the pockets of despair in other people’s lives.
In those wilderness years, God’s plan for Moses entails raising up a leader to enter the promise land. Moses will not be entering the promise land, and it seems as though Moses’ dreams and desires don’t get to come true. This wasn’t God‘s “plan B.” When we don’t see our dreams materializing, we compare ourselves to other people and their dreams. When we find ourselves comparing ourselves to people, assume a posture of a servant of God—we don’t know what God has for us and we don’t know everything that other people go through. When we find ourselves comparing, look to God’s Word. His Word gives us a pathway to access his presence. When we instead are lead by our natural desires, we become like animals. Our desires are good servants, but horrible masters. They will delude us. But God turns his face in love toward us, and through his power, our desires can become reordered.
A concern for those in the margins is not only a modern concern, but a biblical one. What does the Lord ask of you? He wants you. His love for us is grounded in God’s character; it’s not just mere sentiment. The Christian faith is substantive, and it is a relationship that is central to that faith. When we are in relationship with God, we can care for those on the fringes. Stretch your view of God and this will stretch your view of others. Christ left the comforts of his home and was cut off from the land of the living to be an outside in our place. His love pushes us outward.
We are a stiff-necked people. But God does not love us because of anything we do. We fashion idols for ourselves when we try and take a good gift that God gave us and make it an ultimate thing. But our idols will never satisfy. God destroyed the idol that the Israelites made. Jesus takes the idols we make and goes up the mountain of Calvary to be consumed for us.
Even though this world is mostly wilderness, we see glimpses of the promised land. The constant in these places is who God is. He is present and active with us in both places. God is taking you somewhere. We can trust that God will get us where we need to go because Jesus does the obeying for us on the cross.
Christianity looks at the exclusive claim in this passage, a passage that Jesus later quotes, not as exclusively legal but existentially loving. The way he talks about love is not a modern understanding of love driven by emotion. But this love of God is driven instead by covenant. He is committed to us. And as a response to his relentless love toward us, we love him. His love and our obedience can not be segmented into only some parts of our lives because we are his. He has come to extravagantly love us, so then we are able to love him.
In bringing us the Ten Commandments, God is not just bringing the law but bringing himself. When we reimagine the law the way it was originally designed it is not enslaving, but liberating. We flourish when we function within our design.
The law also functions as a mirror. It drives deeper than the external ethics. It drives deep to the heart of the matter. The law isn’t there to be a consultant or a burden. It was there to show us Christianity is impossible.
It is coming at the end of ourselves that we see following the law will never get us out of slavery. Christ brings himself to us and rescues us out of slavery and then brings us the law to show us how to flourish in obedience. When this goes backwards, when the law comes first, it messes everything up. What we could never done, Jesus has done it in our place. In this way, we can rejoice in the law.
Love must be understood in the larger biblical context that God is also a consuming fire. Coming near to him, his fire will shape your life. God speaks his words out of the fire, and you can meet with God there and not be consumed. And the words he gives there become transformative. His fire is disruptive, but it brings new life, and that spreads to others. Sometimes Christians are on fire in a way that is more toxic than helpful. This passage shows the only way to move forward from that.
God is jealous for exclusive loyalty. What do you go to when look for something to make you feel okay? Whatever that is, we often make idols of those things—we give our hearts to other things instead of to God. Jesus never gave his heart to an idol, yet he was consumed by God’s fire in our place.
What do we need to enjoy a full life? How do we find life at its fullest? We need words, direction, and the wisdom to listen. God made us, so he knows better than we do about how to find a full life. We desperately need God’s Word. It is wise for us to listen to it because we are people of the wilderness. The wilderness is a dry place where temptation and doubt are prevalent, and it is where God meets us.
What should have been a short journey into the promise land for Israel ended up being a long journey to nowhere. God is the Lord of the wilderness, and he keeps his promise to deliver. Deuteronomy is really a love story to God’s undeserving people.
Jesus constantly identified himself with us. He is the forever faithful son who was treated like he had rebelled. He was forsaken so we can be welcomed into a full life for us to enjoy. Don’t just exist. Take hold of the life that is truly life by leaning into the love of the Lord of the wilderness.
When life centers around me, it will always be meaningless. When our work feels meaningless, you can always find meaning in it when you find God in it. No matter how meaningful your work feels, it can feel meaningless unless you find God in it. Jesus makes our work meaningful and sometimes does so in mysterious ways.
Naaman is one of the least likely people to find God, but God finds him. Naaman is a picture of faith and work and a face of growth. The hero in this story is a slave girl who forgives Naaman. God sends the message of salvation through the suffering servant.
What is the thing in your life that makes you feel unknown, isolated? For Naaman it was leprosy. But his leprosy became an occasion for finding God. Naaman looks for God in the way he learned how from his culture. But God is not an extension of our culture; he is the judge of our culture and our hearts. Naaman’s obstacle to finding God was pride. He tried to buy his way to God, but the deeper issue is the internal leprosy of Naaman’s soul—sin. We find God because he hunts after us.
Before we love, we have to know we are loved. The king in this story provides us a glimpse into God’s heart. The cripple in this story shows us a glimpse of our heart. To grow spiritually is to see yourself as both. You may feel forgotten, but God, the ultimate King, knows you and invites you to eat every meal at his table. Then, once you have received, receive also the challenge to become like the king and show love to the vulnerable. The Gospel will be offensive to everyone. But the love in the Gospel will produce generous love in you.
Human friendship addresses the human need to draw close to God. When you have mutual affection, part of you will cry out, wherever you’re going, that’s where I want to be. And it’s a relationship that will make you sad when it ends. We are made for holy friendships with one another, and connecting with others is connecting with God.
Growing in godliness is growing more into the image we were originally designed for. Hannah grows in her godliness through suffering. Her suffering is complex: the pain from not being able to have children and the pain from being in a polygamous marriage, and then all the cultural expectations that go along with those things. She offers her prayer to God, and she is at peace. She knows her God, who was good to the core, new her pain and would answer her however he felt best. In suffering, find rest in the gracious God who hears you.
Job is more known more for his perseverance than his patience. He goes on a spiritual journey that has lingering agony, which brings up some of the big questions we have about suffering. His friends are no comfort, but God is not indifferent to our suffering. God reframes Jobs suffering, and ultimately God enters into our pain to endure the ultimate odyssey of agony for us. Jesus is our faithful friend who is our advocate and guide in the midst of suffering.
Joseph uses his power to care for other people, and he looks outside of himself to find self control in the midst of temptation. In temptation, the aim is not curbing sexual desires, but reorienting our desires. Jesus is the sustaining presence in those trials and in adversity. Through Christ’s adversity, he makes possible the privilege of belonging to him until the end of our days.
True knowledge is inseparable from belief in the goodness of God in your life. You were destined for a spiritual life, so stop throwing yourself in the trash. God has a plan to restore our broken world.
In difficult seasons, it’s sometimes hard to see true things. We don’t typically question the goodness of God when things are good, but we do when it seems like the darkness will not lift. But suffering can lead us to intimacy with God himself. We all want a friend like Ruth, and Ruth would be listed on the first page of the New Testament in Jesus’ genealogy. Her ultimate son would be the only thoroughly good person to live. Through his goodness we are accepted as friends in God’s sight.
In Genesis 12, we see in a nutshell God’s story of redemption. Abraham teaches us about faith and connectivity to God.
Jesus loves us and he wants us to pursue godliness, but it is important to get that in the right order. Religion puts imperatives before the indicative that Jesus loves us. We are loved by Jesus regardless of what we do, and we also need to not forget the indicatives. What is true of Jesus is true of you.
To know the living God is to know God in hope. When you realize you are called by him to know him, there is security. The wealthiest person in the universe is delighted to receive you as a gift. Find hope in that you are God’s trophy of grace that he has fashioned through Jesus Christ. We can experience the Pentecost reality, find power in it, and have grounding hope through it because of the work of Jesus.